Hat1: the emerging cellular roles of a type B histone acetyltransferase

Hat1 is the sole known example of a type B histone acetyltransferase. While it has long been presumed that type B histone acetyltransferases participate in the acetylation of newly synthesized histones during the process of chromatin assembly, definitive evidence linking these enzymes to this process has been scarce. This review will discuss recent results that have begun to shed light on the roles of Hat1 and also address several outstanding questions relating to the cellular function of this enzyme.